Okay. Try and stop giggling. A Haboob is  a real thing.  I know. One just showed up on our doorstep.

And this Haboob has nothing to do with my Dairy-Free Coconut Caramel Banana Ice Cream topping. But I just had to share this with you today just in case you were in the mood for ice cream. I have now come to the conclusion that no ice cream should be eaten without this topping. And I wanted to catch you before you dished yourself up a bowl.

Alright, on to this Haboob thing that I have been referring to…

A Haboob is a wall of dust as a result of a microburst or downburst. The air forced downward is pushed forward by the front of a thunderstorm cell, dragging dust and debris with it, as it travels across the terrain.

This is the one that so generously greeted us upon our return home to Scottsdale, Arizona, after spending two weeks in San Diego.

The Phoenix Haboob of July 5th, 2011 from Mike Olbinski on Vimeo.

It measured 50 miles wide and 5,000+ feet tall and it engulfed our entire city.  It made me totally wonder why we ever came back from the beautiful skies and the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. I almost told my husband to put the kids back into the car and head West again.

We had literally been home no more than fifteen minutes when we looked outside and could not even see our pool, or our neighbor’s house, or the street, or our trees, or our dog (who came running in as if a lion was chasing him)….

It was totally bizarre and I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it.

When we walked outside the next morning, there was a layer of dust at least a quarter inch thick covering anything and everything that was outside during that storm.

So…while a majority of the country spends a large part of winter digging out from mounds of snow, we Phoenicians get to spend our summers trying to hose ourselves off and out of the depths of dust.

Now, aren’t you jealous of us? I imagine you are packing your bags for your move to the Southwest right about now.

But aside from Mother Earth’s Welcome Home Party that she threw for us, we had a wonderful time at the beach. We enjoyed: family, friends, fireworks, fun, deep sea fishing, Farmer’s Markets, fabulous feasts, snow-cone selling, sand sculpting, boogie boarding, birthday celebrations (my baby turned 4), a lost tooth (my 6 year old lost his first one), and lots and lots of relaxation (I actually started and finished two entire books). It was marvelous.

And we had a perfect Fourth of July….

Now that we are home and back to the land of the hot, hot, hot, I decided to whip up this Coconut Caramel Banana Ice Cream topping this afternoon after we spent the day out in the sun, swimming and playing.

This ice-cream topping is the easiest and most delightful one that I have made. Oh. And it only has three (yes, 3) ingredients (unless you want to be technical and count the pinch of salt as a fourth). One more thing. It only takes seven (yes, 7) minutes to prepare. That leaves you plenty of time to get back to your warm-weathered fun and lazy summer evenings!

And now I will repeat what I said before.

Ice cream should not be eaten without this topping.

Disclaimer: This opinion is solely my own. You must make your own decision regarding this. I will not force this opinion on to you.

(However, my psychic and intuitive abilities tell me that you may decide upon a similar opinion). 😉

This post is linked to:

Cara’s Cravings and the Tropical Traditions Giveaway she is doing right now!